How to find a suitable job in a slow market (8Min)
It's quite stressful to look for a suitable job during the bad economic times. It's very normal if you're having a tough time in finding the right job. Fortunately, there are few strategies which can help in securing a good job. You can try the important steps mentioned below in order to find the job postings, tailor your resumes accordingly and then nail the interviews, even in a slow market.
1.Use your own network: You need not be shy about asking for help in your job search. No need to be ashamed of it. You can reach out to your friends, family, previous colleagues or even any other acquaintances to say that you’re looking for a job and would appreciate if there are any leads on the job openings. There is a high probability that one of them might know about an opening which could be your next job.
Networking of this sort is also a very easy way to get your foot at the door of a job opening. Companies receive hundreds of applications and a recommendation like this from someone can put you ahead in the run for the job.
About 70% of the job openings aren’t even advertised publicly. That’s why networking is extremely important to uncover the right job openings and secure a good job.
2.Partner with a recruiter: The recruiters match the candidates with the jobs that they’re found fit for. Recruiters can be one of the great resources during a recession since they already have the contacts in the industry which can make your job search a lot easier. Moreover, the recruiters are paid by the companies where you fit in, so their services won’t cost you anything. You can try contacting the recruiters or recruiting agencies and seek their help. Recruiters can also review your resume and help you in presenting an impressive resume which has a big impact.
Many a times, the recruiters might reach out to you if you have set your LinkedIn or Indeed profiles to say that you’re looking for a job. You can try that in order to make yourself more visible to the recruiters. You shouldn’t just work with any recruiter, rather find out a person who can make sure that they match you with the people in the industry you want to work in and have a good track record of working with the leading companies.
- Focus on searching job in the growing industries: There are some industries which actually grow during the poor economies, depending on where the recession is. If you search the job in those sectors, you have a better chance of getting a job. Usually, healthcare, civil service, education, law enforcement, cyber security, IT and law are the industries which grow during a recession.
Service sectors like travel, restaurants and retail tend to suffer during recessions. Manufacturing jobs also tend to fall as well. You might have to do some additional work in your application in order to explain why you’re a good fit for some specific jobs, if those are beyond your domain of expertise. That’s why a strong CV and an impressive cover letter is so important.
- Aim at the largest companies in strong industries: Large companies are more likely to make it through the period of recession. Once you find the major industries which are safe during the recession, you have to go a step further and find the top hiring companies in that field. You’re much more likely to find the relevant job postings and land a job which will last through the downturn. For example, if you’re looking at the IT industry, companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple are usually the biggest choices. As it’s not that all of these companies post on the general job boards like Indeed, so you might have more luck checking on their company’s respective websites.
It will help you a lot if you do some research and make out if a company is healthy or not even if it’s big enough.
- Approach big companies even if they haven’t posted any jobs: For this find the contact person’s information or the hiring manager of the company. Call the person or email stating your qualifications and experience, then ask if there are any open positions which fits you. As lots of jobs aren’t advertised, you might find some hidden openings in this way. You’ll be more successful in this, if you know someone who works with the company. They can provide you with all the information needed and recommend your name to the hirers too for the post.
Try to stay positive and be patient in this approach, it might get frustrating at times.
CONCLUSION: With so much competition all over the employers will be very selective in their choices. Try to stay positive during the entire process as sometimes it may be a very lengthy one. Job hunting is quite tough during a recession, but if you’re consistent in your efforts you can pull it through. Take good care of yourself during the job hunts. Eat right, get good sleep, and exercise regularly to stay healthy and follow the above tips in order to find the best suited job for yourself.